Out in the Cold
by zeldafan3
Summary: Howl goes out on an errand for Sophie to buy bread. When he gets there, he sees a girl in front of the shop. What will he do? And what will Sophie think?
1. Chapter 1

Out in the Cold

A girl sat on the ground, shivering, with the thinnest blanket to cover her. She was sitting

near a bakery, in a medieval looking village. People just passed by her, seeming not to notice her. The girl had black hair, and she was wearing a white dress that would have been quite beautiful, if it was not dirty. The girl felt quite sleepy. She fell asleep immediately, feeling infinitely tired.

The next day…

A man with black hair and blue eyes was walking through the village. He had been sent

on an errand to buy some bread at the bakery on request of Sophie. In his clothes, he blended

in quite well with the villagers. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants. His name was

Howl Jenkins. He arrived at the bakery and opened the door. He walked in, the chime of a bell

announcing his arrival to the patrons of the shop. He stood at the counter, looking at the many

different kinds of fresh bread and baked goods that were being sold. A man came to the counter.

He was wearing the typical baker's apron and hat. He turned to Howl and said , "How may I

help you, sir?" Howl looked up and said, "Yes, I'd like to buy two loaves of French bread, and

two loaves of sourdough bread." He took out the money, and handed it to the baker. The man

took the money, and picked out the bread. He handed Howl the bread, and he thanked the baker and walked out, the chime of bells announcing his departure. When he got outside, he realized a girl was looking up at the packages of bread he was carrying with a seemingly hungry glance.

Howl was not the kind of person to refuse someone food when they were hungry, no matter how much the people around him believed he had no heart. So, he opened one of the wrapped loaves of bread and broke off a piece and handed it to the girl. The girl hesitated, uncertain whether or not to take it, but Howl placed it in her hand, and she began to eat it slowly, savoring the first bites after many days of not eating.

After she was finished eating, Howl reached out his hand to the girl. As she had done before, she hesitated, then accepted, and he pulled her up.

Howl'sPOV…

After I had helped the girl to get up, I asked her, "What's your name?" She spoke very quietly, so quiet, in fact, that I had to strain my ears to hear what she was saying. I heard a tiny voice say, "Liese." Then I said, "Well then, Liese, I shall take you to my castle." She looked at me with a bewildered look, and she began to follow me. I led her out of town and up the hill where my castle could be found, roaming the countryside. Liese looked confused when she saw my "castle", and I guess it wasn't what she was expecting. I stepped up to the short flight of steps and stretched out my hand for Liese to grab it (AN: Aww, how romantic! XD). She extended her hand, and I grabbed on to it and lifted her up. I opened the door and led her inside and up the stairs. I put the bread in drawers while Liese watched.

While I was doing this, I heard Sophie calling my name, "Howl? Howl, are you home?" I heard her walking down the stairs. She walked into the main room, and immediately she saw Liese. She asked, "Who is this, Howl?" I looked at her and said, "She's a girl I found when I was buying bread. She looked like she had no home, so I thought I'd take her here." "Her name is Liese. Can she stay?" Sophie considered it for a while, then she turned to me, and said "Yes, she can stay." I led Liese to an empty room, and told her she could stay there.

The End(of Chapter 1, anyway… XD)

Author's Note: Hey, thanks for reading Chapter 1 of my new story! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you will leave a comment(or comments) as well. Please let me know what you think and I would like it if you'd read my other stories(or the beginnings of them) as well.

--Zeldafan3 3 ;


	2. Chapter 2

Out in the Cold

Chapter 2

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Chapter 2 of Out in the Cold. Last time, Howl found a young girl outside a bakery when he went on an errand for Sophie. He decided to bring the girl home to the castle. Well, I hope you will enjoy the second chapter! Please review, and keep in mind, if you give me flames, they will go straight to Calcifer to make him bigger and stronger!!!!!! Muahahahaha!

Zeldafan3

Howl's POV:

I led the girl to an empty room in my moving castle. The girl was wearing the white dress I had found her in. Her hair, which was black, was still a little bit tangled and limp. I motioned to her to sit down on the bed. She was hesitant at first but then she followed and sat down on the bed. I said to her, "This will be your new home. Please don't hesitate to ask for help when you need it." She looked up at me in disbelief, or maybe it was gratefulness, I couldn't tell. I turned and walked out of the room. I sat down by the fireplace on a chair. Suddenly, the fire rose up from the fireplace and said, "You look worried, Howl. Is something the matter?" I stared out into space, lost in thought.

"…Howl? Howl?"

I looked around to see who had called me. Then I looked forward.

Calcifer waved a fiery hand in front of my face.

"Earth to Howl!" he said.

"Oh, Calcifer. What is it?"

He replied, "I just thought you looked worried. Is something the matter?"

I smiled and said, "I just found this girl when I was going to buy bread for Sophie. I'm worried about her. I wonder where she came from?"

Calcifer nodded and asked, "Where is she now?"

"She's sleeping", I replied.

"Did she tell you her name?" Calcifer asked.

"She said her name was Liese", I replied.

"Liese…" Calcifer said thoughtfully.

I said, "I'll go check on her now, Calcifer, if you don't mind."

"Sure", Calcifer said.

I stood up from the chair and walked toward the room Liese was sleeping in. I placed my hand lightly on the doorknob and turned it. I opened the door, and I saw Liese sleeping soundly. She was still wearing the white dress I first saw her in. As I looked at her, I noticed a small pendant on a chain around her neck. It was a very pretty pendant. It was a red heart inlaid with red jewels and white wings on the right and left sides of the heart. I reached out my hand and lifted up the pendant to get a closer look at it. It felt warm in my hands. Then, I heard a knock on the door. I gently laid the pendant back down and crossed the room to the doorway. I opened the door to see Sophie standing there with a tray. On the tray was a bowl of steaming soup, a plate of sliced bread and a spoon.

"Could you wake Liese up and feed this to her?" Sophie asked.

"Sure", I said, taking the tray from her. Sophie smiled and closed the door. When the door was closed, I set the tray down next to Liese's bed and sat down on a small stool next to her bed. I nudged her gently, and waited. Slowly, her eyes began to open, like a flower opening its petals after a winter sleep. She looked at me with her beautiful brown eyes.

I helped her get up, and said to her, "Sophie made you some soup. Would you like to have some now?" She nodded slowly, and I began to feed her the soup. As I fed her, I felt happy that I was able to help someone in need.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Hi everyone

Hi everyone! Welcome to Chapter 3 of Out in the Cold. Thank you all for the reviews you have given my stories. I really appreciate receiving messages from all of you. I hope you will enjoy this chapter almost as much (or as much) as I enjoyed writing it. This chapter is from Liese's POV. Hope you enjoy!

-Zeldafan3

Out in the Cold Chapter 3

I opened my eyes to the gentle sunlight filtering through the window, caressing my face. I sat up in bed, feeling the heart-shaped pendant around my neck lightly touch my skin. I gently lifted the chain up from around my neck to take a look at the pendant I had been wearing for as long as I could remember. I held the red winged heart, which felt strangely warm, in my cupped hands. As I held it, I felt this warm, familiar light surround me. I closed my eyes as two wings emerged from my back. They were pure white, going all the way down to the end of my back.

Almost as soon as the transformation ended, I heard a knock on my door. I then heard Howl's voice say, "Liese? Are you awake?" I froze, realizing that my wings were still out. I quickly threw a blanket over my back, and then said, "I'm awake. Come in!" I heard the doorknob turn with a gentle click as it swung forward to reveal Howl, wearing the only outfit I had seen him in, a white buttoned shirt and black pants.

"Hello," he said, smiling at me. "Did you sleep well last night?"

I nodded slowly, trying to keep the blanket wrapped tight around my shoulders.

He smiled back, and then said, "Sophie is preparing breakfast. You may come to eat with us when it's ready, if you like."

He walked closer to me, then bent down, and lifted the pendant I was wearing up into his hands. I looked down. It was gleaming brightly, illuminating his hands with a red glow. I felt shocked. I had never allowed anyone to touch my pendant, and to have someone touch it without hesitation was something I wasn't expecting. Howl must've noticed how I was feeling, because he said, "Don't worry. I won't take your pendant. I am a wizard, and you can trust me with your secrets. What does this pendant mean to you?"

I turned to him and looked into his questioning eyes. I took a breath, and then asked Howl to close the door. He nodded, stood up, crossed the room, and closed the door. He walked back to the bed and sat down on it.

I turned to him and said, "I trust you to keep this a secret. You will not tell anyone, not even Sophie. Is that alright?"

He said, "I promise."

I turned to him and said, "That pendant you saw holds my transformation powers. I use it to conceal my true self when necessary. I can avoid transforming as long as I do not hold the pendant. When I hold it, though, a light surrounds me, and I undergo a transformation."

Howl nodded, taking it all in. Then he said, "What happens? What do you become?"

I didn't reply with words. Instead, I slowly removed the blanket from around my shoulders, revealing my gleaming white wings. I looked at Howl, and said, "That's right. I am an angel."

He said, "Really? Angels are pretty rare around this town. How did you get here?"

I paused for a moment, and then said, "I'm sorry, Howl. I trust you a lot, but that's a story I cannot tell you right now. Is that alright?"

Howl smiled, and then said, "I understand. When you are ready to tell me, I will listen. I will keep your secret and protect you from any harm that comes your way." Howl moved forward and pulled me into a tender embrace, taking care not to hurt my wings.

He then released me from the embrace, and said, "Sophie should be finished preparing breakfast. You can hide your wings, then you can come downstairs for breakfast."

He left the room and I closed the door. I touched the pendant, concealing my wings again, which disappeared in a flash. I put on a simple, clean dress I found in the closet in my room. I walked down the stairs, happy that I had finally found someone in this world to trust with my secret.

-End of Chapter 3-


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